This blog has no pictures because I just did not have time. I will try to make up for it over the next few days.
Well we can pretty well assure you that we will be back at our home port of LGYC on Saturday, September 29. Not sure of the exact time yet but will tell you when I know.
This sooner than expected return is due to several factors. One, with all the anchorages inaccessible on the Mississippi we were forced to go long days running dawn to dusk thus saving several days. Two, we were extremely lucky on the weather having no serious rains or floods to force us to take refuge. And three, our luck on the locks was incredible. While other boats have had to wait up to 6 hours at various locks, we have been able to go right through most. We were able to cover over 200 miles just in the last two days which normally would take 4-5 days.
So tonight we are at Green Turtle Bay on the Cumberland River. We will stay her at least 3 nights and maybe four. We will rest, repair and clean up.
This morning we left at 0645 and headed to Lock #53 where 5 boats locked through under horrendous condition. This lock and the next one are being replaced by the Olmsted Lock where we anchored last night. When it is complete the others will be torn out thus saving every tow one extra lock. Meanwhile not a dime is being spent on repairs so they are in sad shape. We were allowed to tie one bow line to a fixed bollard on top of the lock and told we were at our own risk and should try to use the engines to keep the boat off the wall. We lost a spotlight off the bow pulpit and almost tore off a fender holder. I will be working on repairing these later.
Conditions at Lock #52 were somewhat better just by luck. There are literally hundreds of barges backed up in every direction awaiting their turn to lock through but a lock master took pity on us and took us up as one tow exited and he was going up to get the next one in line. These barges literally may wait days to get through.
Disaster averted: we received word today that the Chain of Rocks Lock which we went through last Wednesday has been closed indefinitely because it has sprung a leak. If we had been above that point we would just have to sit indefinitely until it was repaired. Several of our friends are now in that fix including Seabiscuit and Seabatical. We wish them luck. Unfortunately when the repairs are completed the commercial traffic will be jammed all the way back to Chicago and they will have preference.
Today we ran through two locks and 41 miles up the Ohio and then one lock and 32 miles up the Cumberland all against the current. Because the current on the Mississippi was so strong with us we burned only 119 gallons of fuel since Port Charles. This includes at least 30 hours of generator time. Pretty good.
Stay tuned as we begin our run toward home this coming week.
Well we can pretty well assure you that we will be back at our home port of LGYC on Saturday, September 29. Not sure of the exact time yet but will tell you when I know.
This sooner than expected return is due to several factors. One, with all the anchorages inaccessible on the Mississippi we were forced to go long days running dawn to dusk thus saving several days. Two, we were extremely lucky on the weather having no serious rains or floods to force us to take refuge. And three, our luck on the locks was incredible. While other boats have had to wait up to 6 hours at various locks, we have been able to go right through most. We were able to cover over 200 miles just in the last two days which normally would take 4-5 days.
So tonight we are at Green Turtle Bay on the Cumberland River. We will stay her at least 3 nights and maybe four. We will rest, repair and clean up.
This morning we left at 0645 and headed to Lock #53 where 5 boats locked through under horrendous condition. This lock and the next one are being replaced by the Olmsted Lock where we anchored last night. When it is complete the others will be torn out thus saving every tow one extra lock. Meanwhile not a dime is being spent on repairs so they are in sad shape. We were allowed to tie one bow line to a fixed bollard on top of the lock and told we were at our own risk and should try to use the engines to keep the boat off the wall. We lost a spotlight off the bow pulpit and almost tore off a fender holder. I will be working on repairing these later.
Conditions at Lock #52 were somewhat better just by luck. There are literally hundreds of barges backed up in every direction awaiting their turn to lock through but a lock master took pity on us and took us up as one tow exited and he was going up to get the next one in line. These barges literally may wait days to get through.
Disaster averted: we received word today that the Chain of Rocks Lock which we went through last Wednesday has been closed indefinitely because it has sprung a leak. If we had been above that point we would just have to sit indefinitely until it was repaired. Several of our friends are now in that fix including Seabiscuit and Seabatical. We wish them luck. Unfortunately when the repairs are completed the commercial traffic will be jammed all the way back to Chicago and they will have preference.
Today we ran through two locks and 41 miles up the Ohio and then one lock and 32 miles up the Cumberland all against the current. Because the current on the Mississippi was so strong with us we burned only 119 gallons of fuel since Port Charles. This includes at least 30 hours of generator time. Pretty good.
Stay tuned as we begin our run toward home this coming week.